Leo Leuenburger

Leo Leuenburger (1804-1872) was a Free Party of Switzerland politician who served as President of Switzerland from 1858 to 1867, succeeding Nando Kuenzler and preceding Oskar Stauffacher.

Biography
Leo Leuenburger was born in Fribourg, Switzerland in 1804 to a wealthy family, and he became a lawyer during the 1820s. Leuenburger became a member of the Free Party of Switzerland, advocating the creation of an atheist and isolationist state with a government-assisted economy. He became a leading member of the party, which became popular in the west, and he was elected President of Switzerland after victory in the 1858 Swiss elections. Leuenburger's attempts to reform the government were blocked by the conservative factions in parliament, but the economy soared under his direction, making more money as farming and industrial output increased due to technological advances. The Free Party lost the 1866 elections to a resurgent conservative alliance, and Leuenberger died in 1872.